SMA Cross Country's Amazing Talent on Display!

The Stella Maris Academy Cross Country team delivered an impressive performance at the Ely Invitational last week, with several runners achieving personal milestones. The meet, which took place at the Ely Golf Course, featured approximately 80 runners from seven schools competing across varsity and junior high divisions.

Jaxon, Caleb, Bryn, and Aiden all secured top-ten finishes in their respective races; in addition to Carson winning his junior high race. "The most memorable thing for me was me and Aiden both got top ten, which we've never done before. So that was really awesome," Jaxon shared.

Sarah, who ran varsity for Stella Maris, highlighted the beauty of the course and weather conditions as standout features of the event. "It was just like a really beautiful run. It was also just like a really nice temperature outside to go running," she remarked.

The team identified Ely as their fiercest competition, noting that it was Ely's home meet, which added to the competitive atmosphere. Despite facing challenging hills throughout the course, the Stella Maris runners performed admirably.

Team members credited their success to their training regimen, which included hill sprints the day before the race. "We did sprints literally the day before the race. I think Mr. Nygaard just kind of threw it out there, and we did it, and it made going up the hills a lot easier," explained Caleb.

Caleb noted that the team's preparation included taking responsibility for their own warm-ups, demonstrating their growing maturity as athletes.

Looking ahead, the team is focused on the upcoming Sectional competition. "We'll finally have a full varsity girls team to bring to Sections. So just that kind of teamwork and just all running together. I think it'll be really fun and a good challenge for sure," Sarah commented.

The runners hope to intensify their workouts, improve their hydration strategies, and maintain consistent pacing as they prepare for Sectionals. The team also expressed pride in their school's reputation for respectfulness and helpfulness at competitions.

With their recent success at the Ely Invitational, the Stella Maris Academy Cross Country team has built momentum heading into the final stretch of their season.

Most recently, the boys and girls junior high teams took each took third place at the Swain Invitational meet, and the boys varsity placed 6th.

The final all-team meet is in the afternoon next Tuesday the 14th at Proctor.